


i'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

by quinnking



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AAAANGST, F/M, mentions of melinda's ex husband
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 03:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2493149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quinnking/pseuds/quinnking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>phil hasn’t seen melinda in a long time and he’s in for a shock.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

**Author's Note:**

> listen to take me to church by hozier.

_the only heaven i'll be sent to is when i'm alone with you._

_**I** _

It's been almost two years since he's seen her, so when he sees her sitting at her desk in Administration (and he tries not to scoff, tries hard, because Melinda May is an amazing field agent, not a desk jockey) his stomach does a few somersaults.

"Agent May," he says formally, and when her eyebrow crinkles he immediately regrets it.

She looks up at him, face impassive. "Agent Coulson," she retorts.

Phil almost rocks back on heels awkwardly, because he doesn't know what to do. Melinda's always been short with other people, but not him. Never him.

"How have you been?"

She types something out before giving him a resigned sigh. "What do you want, Coulson?" She flicks something on her screen once more, and that draws his attention down to her hand.

Her left hand. That has a new addition to its ring finger -- a ring, gorgeous and silver and sparkling in the brightness of the room. He swallows the lump that has lodged itself in his throat before he even dares to speak.

"You - uh, you got married?" He scratches the back of his head (because he's afraid he'll reach out and touch her and want to rip the ring off her finger and smash it).

Melinda looks down at her hand, as if she forgot that it's there. "Yeah, about five months ago," she replies, her tone a tad bit gentler than before. "He's a good guy."

_So am I._

"Are you happy?"

The question clearly takes her by surprise and her whole posture goes rigid, her face hardens and her eyes go emotionless.

"If you're not here for any administrative assistance, Agent Coulson, you can see yourself out."

He closes his eyes and doesn't move, because he's rooted to the spot and can't move. This must be what a broken heart feels like.

"Melinda..."

She looks up at him, exasperation evident. "He's a good guy," she repeats. "I'm the happiest I've been in a long time, Coulson." There's nothing wrong with the words, it's _how_ she says them. Like it's rehearsed, like saying them makes her tired.

This thought pulls at Phil's heart, tugging it down into his stomach until he feels sick.

There are so many questions Phil wants to ask her - do you ever think of me, do you ever wish he was me, do you ever miss me as much as I miss you? He suspects the answer, by how she's looking away from him now in a determined kind of way, would be a lie.

"Mel-"

"I think we're quite done, Agent Coulson."

She's looking at him again, those brown eyes that used to look at him with such love now looking at him with ice-cold annoyance. He feels the coolness in his veins, causing his breath to stutter.

He backs up.

"I really do wish you all the happiness in the world, Melinda," he says before turning away, before she can see his eyes well up.


End file.
